2020 Small World in Motion Competition

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Honorable Mention

2020 Small World in Motion Competition

Ciliates (Vorticella sp. and Paramecium sp.)

Roland Gross

Location
Gruenen, Switzerland
Technique
Differential Interference Contrast
Magnification
10X (Objective Lens Magnification)

Mr. Roland Gross, a microscopy enthusiast and hobbyist, captured this movie of ciliates (Voriticella and Paramecium) foraging for food with Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) microscopy. The stalked ciliates attach themselves to substrates and utilize hair like organelles called cilia to direct passing nutrients into their mouth. By contrast, the Paramecium (shown as a “slipper” looking organism) uses its cilia for movement and sensation while it feeds. Movies such as this are especially difficult to capture because limited depth of focus can make keeping these active creatures in focus for any length of time nearly impossible. Recent advancements in high-end research microscopes help lock the focus on the subject matter, but it is not yet commonly available for non-research applications.

Honorable Mention

2020 Small World in Motion Competition

Ciliate (Prorodon viridis) showing its beating cilia and green zoochlorellae

Ralph Grimm

Location
Jimboomba, Queensland, Australia
Technique
Differential Interference Contrast
Magnification
60X (Objective Lens Magnification)

Ralph Grimm, a prolific photomicrographer from Australia, has been in the Small World winners circle an impressive 16 times dating all the way back to 2005. His most recent entry, a differential interference contrast (DIC) movie of the ciliate Prorodon viridis showing beating cilia and green zoochlorellae perfectly demonstrates his imaging skills. DIC is a commonly used illumination technique to observe creatures such as this, but it can be immensely challenging to keep sharpness, focus and proper framing for the duration of a movie of such animals. This particular creature uses algal “solar” cells from which it derives part of its energy (long before man came up with the idea).

Honorable Mention

2020 Small World in Motion Competition

Developing freshwater snail embryo, inside the egg

Eric Lind

Location
Delmar, New York, USA
Technique
Darkfield
Magnification
4X, 10X and 40X (Objective Lens Magnification)

Eric Lind’s main career is with Audubon, New York, specializing in bird conservation and wildlife biology. An avid photomicrography hobbyist (and talented one), Mr. Lind captured this fascinating sequence of a developing larval freshwater snail inside its egg. Filming developing embryos can be especially tricky because as the embryo grows, it can literally expand quickly out of the frame of the image, necessitating the need for changes in magnification mid-movie. The snail image beautifully shows the tiny eyespots, heartbeat and mouth and for Mr. Lind, illustrates the fragility and vulnerability of wildlife in a human dominated world.